Uncertain Expectations
by Crimson Rogue
Summary: Liara can't help but have doubts over the exact nature of her relationship with the Normandy's Commander. An impromptu trip to the Presidium lends her a chance to set the record straight. Now if only the Consort would keep her hands to herself...


**A/N: **This plot bunny just jumped into my head while I was playing my third and final play through with my Liara!Fem!Shep. I never really expected Liara to be the jealous sort, so her annoyed comment towards the Consort after my team and I met with her resulted in some raised eyebrows on my end - as well as a plot bunny thumping around in my brain. It just seemed like too good a chance to pass up.

**Info about my Shepard:** Faith Shepard - Colonist/Sole Survivor/Soldier-Commando

(Weird name, I know. If I could go back and change it I would have, but after playing through three whole playthroughs with this character, boredom is a powerful thing, it's hard to think of her with any other name...)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mass Effect or it's universe. I wish I could have Liara, but sadly that isn't meant to be… *tear* I do however own my own rendition of Shepard.

* * *

There was much to be said about the sheer splendor of the Citadel station. From the fast paced action of the Wards down to the deceptive sense of tranquility that pervaded the Presidium, there was always something of interest for those willing to lose themselves in the hustle and bustle of the immense station.

For Liara, the station was a glorious monument to the greatness of the Prothean empire. A definitive symbol of everything that they had strove to achieve during their time on the Galactic stage.. It's sheer size and aesthetic beauty left her dumbfounded each and every time she had the mere privilege of visiting it's hallowed halls. The sight of so much working Prothean technology sending her scientific mind into fits of barely contained excitement.

Yet now, for the first time, she might as well have been blind to it all - her mind decidedly elsewhere for the time being.

Liara would always be the first to admit - however much she loathed it - that she often would say things without thinking of the consequences before hand. It was a trait that was borne from her self induced isolation as both an archeologist and as the wayward daughter of one of the most influential Asari Matriarchs in existence.

Most of the time she thought found herself unconcerned with the knowledge that she had trouble communicating with others without - what was that human phrase again - putting her boot into her mouth in the process. Possessing sufficient social skills was not exactly a required skill for becoming an archaeologist after all. Why should she have bothered learning something that probably would never become useful to her?

Now however, after all that had happened over the whirlwind of the past few weeks since her impromptu rescue from Therum's volcanic tendencies and Saren's vice-like grasp, she could not help but curse herself for her previous foolishness.

'Why did I confess my feelings for her…?' She wondered tiredly to herself as she and the rest of the shore party navigated their way through the Presidium. Apparently on the hunt for a specific shop that promised some tantalizing deals on weaponry and all that was associated with it.

For her to just come out and admit her infatuation, even if it had been done in order to explain her transgressions in learning about the Commander's past without her expressed knowledge, was simply something she couldn't quite wrap her mind around. Humans had a funny saying about how one could often get lost in the heat of the moment, and Liara's guilt raddled mind couldn't help but find the phrase to be especially fitting for this particular situation. Why else had she done such a stupid thing? Oh curse herself a thousand times over for not taking the time to acclimate herself to the nuances of social interactions!

_'-But she didn't reject you…,-'_ a treacherous voice purred from the deepest recesses of her mind, _'in fact she seemed quite receptive to the idea from what I recall….'_

_'Lies,'_ Liara countered despondently, unable to grasp the mere idea that the Commander could ever reciprocate her infatuation, _'she was probably just trying to spare my feelings…' _

_'-Do you really think the Commander would be so cruel as to lead you on…?-' _the voice persisted in an amused fashion.

_'Well… No… But…' _

_'-Exactly,-' _the voice singsonged poisonously, _'-the Commander is not the kind of woman who would do such a thing. Admit it, you're just scared of the idea of allowing someone to become so close to you after all these years of isolation. You want the Commander, you know you do, and yet you continue to hide behind a mask of uncertainty - only allowing your desires to be known when pushed into some kind of corner. Tell me, dear one, why are you so afraid…?-'_

Liara violently shook her head to banish the wanton voice back into the pits of her mind where it had originated, not in the mood to delve any further into that particular topic while the rest of her emotions were under such strain. Yet the seeds had already been sowed, and even now she could not help but feel a renewed sense of hope over the situation.

Could the Commander really care for such an awkward mess of a person such as herself?

Slowly lifting her eyes from their previous position on the floor and turned them to look upon the current object of her affections, as if the mere sight of the other woman would provide her with the answer she sought.

The Commander walked a few feet in front of the young Asari, her icy blue eyes glancing around in what could only be seen as frustration as she chattered about with the Normandy's resident Quarian engineer. Aside from the imposing presence she presented with her full HMW gear and Predator L X armor, there wasn't anything in particular to note about the tanned woman aside from a single scar running horizontally down the length of her face. This did seem to add to the a sort of boyish charm the taller woman possessed, that much was certain, but by human standards Liara knew that Shepard was hardly what one would call stunning.

_'-You have to admit she has a great body though…-'_

Mentally chastising herself for allowing her mind to wander in such a direction once more, Liara attempted to listen into the last bits of conversation that were thrown about. Desperately hoping that her companion's didn't notice her earlier distraction.

If either of her companions had noticed her previous distraction then they choose not to call her out on it. Something that Liara couldn't help but be immensely grateful for. She didn't think she'd be able to face either of the, especially Shepard, if they inquired as to why she had had her head proverbially in the clouds, as the humans would say.

"I think we're lost Commander," Tali deadpanned as she looked towards their befuddled leader.

"You can say that again…" Faith Shepard muttered as she absentmindedly ran a hand through her shoulder length dishwater blonde hair. All the while cursing herself for the umpteenth time for not having the presence of mind to orient herself with the station upon their first impromptu visit. All she wanted was to find the new weapon's shop that the requisitions officer had mentioned to them when suggesting locations to buy new augmentations for their arsenal - was that so much to ask?

The young Asari couldn't help but smile slightly to herself as she watched the normally composed soldier slowly start to give into her annoyance over the situation. It was cute, in a way, to see the Spectre become flustered for once. "We could inquire with Avina about the location of the shop, Shepard."

A sour look flitted across the human's face as she thought about the holographic VI, not quite willing to have to put up with her programmed antics so early in the day. Who knows what kind of Council propaganda the machine would spew out while they attempted to browbeat the information out of her computerized mind?

"I don't think that would be wise," Tali offered neutrally, sharing some of the Commander's dislike for the aggravating VI, "Avina is mostly programmed to guide people towards various areas on the Presidium rather than specific locations of interest - beyond a few sight seeing destinations here and there. At best all she could do would be to point us back towards our current location, leaving us back where we started."

"Hmm… I suppose see your point," The Asari maiden returned quietly after a moment's hesitation, "perhaps we should ask one of the other shop keepers to point us in the right direction?"

"It couldn't hurt." Faith replied with a tired shrug as she looked around their current position at the base of the statue that commemorated the sacrifice of the Krogan during the rachni wars. After a few moments of fruitless searching, she eventually let her eyes settle upon an unassuming doorway towards the far end of the Presidium.

Turning towards her companions with a playfully renewed smirk upon her face, Faith couldn't help but make a large sweeping gesture toward the door way in front of them. "Shall we then?"

It took less than a minute for the party to cross the short distance between the statue and the opening in the wall that heralded the shop's entrance. Though it only took a few seconds for them to register that this was not quite like the other shops they had passed on their way through the Financial District.

"Is this some kind of restaurant or something…?" Tali couldn't help but query as she glanced towards the Asari tending some type of terminal booth near the front of the large interior space.

"Who knows? Let's just see if they can't tell us what we need to know," Sending an amused smile towards her companions Faith started to make her way towards the finely dressed Asari, who in turn looked up to greet the approaching group.

"Welcome I'm Nelyna. I don't recognize you as one of our expected clients today," the acolyte greeted pleasantly, though not without a small note of curiosity coloring her voice, "would you like me too, see when the Consort will be able to meet with you?"

"Actually," the human gave the receptionist a polite and controlled smile, "I was wondering if you might be able to provide us with some directions?"

"Why, of course. Where do you need to go?", was the amicable reply.

"Our requisitions officer told us that there was a new shop opening up on the Presidium where we might acquire new weapon modifications, though he couldn't remember the name of the place. Would you happen to know anything about this? His information suggested that it would be in this general area of the Presidium."

"Hmm… Well, there is a shop that was supposed to open a few blocks down that fits your basic description, but from what I heard a mishap occurred with it's construction that has pushed back the opening date until later in the month…" Nelyna winced sympathetically as she looked at the exasperated expressions that were threatening to envelop the faces of the small group.

"Figures," muttered Tali as she tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling in apparent frustration. They had been running around the Presidium for the past hour for absolutely nothing it seems.

Heaving a labored sigh over the wild goose chase that they had subjected themselves to for the past few hours, Faith managed to send a small smile of gratitude towards the receptionist. Grateful, at least, that her help had prevented them from dragging out the entire process any longer than was necessary. "Thank you, Miss, for setting us straight," with that she moved to depart, motioning for her companions to follow her back the way from whence they had come. Now unsure about what they should do with the few remaining hours they had allotted for themselves during their brief shore leave.

Liara attempted to cheer up her beleaguered companions as they turned to leave, not quite as put out as they were by this new turn of events - thanks in part to her previous state of mind during the walk from the docking area. She had almost managed to bring a slightly less forced smile upon Shepard's face when a decidedly static sound rang out from behind them.

"Yes, Shia'ra?", the receptionist's voice rang out.

There was a slight pause as the person on the other end took their turn to speak.

"Yes of course, mistress," with that Nelyna called out to them to return, urging them closer with a quick gesturing of her hand.

Once they had returned she spoke once more, this time with an enigmatic smile painted upon her delicate features, "huh, it appears the Consort has taken notice of you. She'd like to meet with you."

"What does she want to see us for?" Faith muttered whilst rubbing the back of her neck, sparing a confused glance towards both Tali and Liara, who only shrugged in return.

"I don't know, you'll have to ask her yourself. Just head upstairs, she'll be waiting for you," there was a knowing smirk etched across her face as she sent the Commander a conspiratorial wink. Liara couldn't help but begin to frown in response as she pondered over the implications behind such a look.

_'-Oh calm down,-'_ the voice from before muttered in amusement, _'-that little gesture is nothing to get upset about.-'_

_'-Commander Shepard is a person with a distinguished and impeccable service record. For someone to even think about winking at her in such a manner is…-'_, she bit back moodily. Not even certain as to why she was getting so worked up in the first place.

_'-You've seen Ashley and Joker wink at the Commander in such a manner plenty of times in the past~.-'_, the voice sing-songed reasonably, apparently having a good amount of fun at debunking her various rebuttals.

_'That's different…!'_

_'-Is it…?-'_

"Well, what do you think Liara?" Shepard's voice brought her out of her musings rather quickly.

"Huh? What..?", Liara gawked at the other uncertainly, horror now bubbling her gut as she realized that she had once again tuned out the world around her during her little rendezvous with her aggravating mental counterpart. Not again… Shepard must undoubtedly think she was some kind of fool - as if her previous conversations with the woman hadn't surely already cemented that fact in her mind.

"I said," Faith grinned indulgently at the biotic user, a look of fondness quickly flashing across her face as she took in the other's confused expression, "what do you think we should do? Should we take this 'Consort' up on her offer and see why she requires our presence? Or should we just beat a hasty retreat to the nearest pub and attempt to forget this whole fiasco ever happened in the first place?"

"Personally, I'd prefer the pub. The more crowded it is, the better," Tali offered with what could have been perceived as an excited grin, though it was impossible to tell one way or another through the red tinted plate glass of her environmental suit. Thankfully one could usually ascertain Tali's given expression through either her voice or bodily movements, and currently it would seem that she was right to assume the vague expression had been one of excitement if her impatient shuffling was anything to go by.

Faith let out a short laugh as she watched the Quarian all but bounce in place, apparently eager to get the hell out of the boring Presidium, "Calm down Tali. The pub will still be there later."

The noticeable whine that entered the other's voice brought a smile to all their faces as Tali slumped into what the rest of the crew had taken to calling the 'Quarian Pout', "yes, Commander."

"So? Any ideas Liara?", Faith turned back to the young Asari with an amused grin, causing her legs to turn to mush.

"Well, I… I'm fine with whatever you want to do Commander…" Great, now she sounded like a blushing maiden barely out of her first round of schooling!

"Hmm," Faith scratched the bridge of her nose, a habit Liara had quickly noticed she partook in whenever she was weighing various ideas in her mind, "I think we should at least see what this person wants. After all, it's doubtful they would have requested our presence without reason. Besides, we could always head to the pub afterwards," she finished with a playful wink at her two compatriots.

That was apparently all the urging that was needed, for moments later after navigating the rather crowded reception area at the front of the facility the trio found themselves in front of a sliding hydraulic door, which soon gave way into a rather opulent, yet at the same time functional living space. Each piece of décor that littered the room before them appeared more lavish than the next, a veritable cornucopia of wealth before their very eyes. Along either wall various paintings and well-made instruments hung proudly amongst themselves as testaments to the Consort's apparent wealth and appreciation for the arts. This was the room of a high born noble, that much was certain.

Though, no one in the group could speak towards the Consort's apparent choices when it came to sleeping apparatuses it seems - what with the giant purple, egg shaped monstrosity sitting off towards the left side of the apartment.

In the middle of the room stood an impeccably dressed woman, her back turned towards them as if to suggest the fact that she was unaware of their presence in the chamber. This illusion was soon dispelled, however, when a clear melodic voice soon rang out towards them.

"That's close enough Commander," the woman turned her head slightly to send an appraising gaze towards the party before returning her gaze to the wall in front of her, "I've heard a great many things about you since you arrived here on the station."

A look of aggravation quickly danced across Faith's features as she regarded whom she assumed to be the Consort that had asked for their presence, her voice hard as steel as she in turn replied, "I don't like people spying on me."

A swift pang of guilt tore through Liara's chest forcing her eyes to tear themselves away from the spectacle unfolding before her. She knew all too well just how much the Commander hated having her life intruded upon without her foreknowledge - having learned that lesson herself only a week prior to this. That mishap had nearly cost her the other woman's friendship…

_'-Though you have to admit that it turned out for the better, after all it was only moments later that you stumbled out your feelings towards her in an attempt to explain your actions.-'_

_'Quiet you.'_

"I apologize Commander. I make it my business to know when important people arrive on the station, many of them become clients," the Consort offered in a tone that suggested that she was unapologetic about the whole matter despite that being in direct contrast to her choice of words.

"That's fascinating…", Liara bit out softly in annoyance, surprising both herself and those around her with her venomous tone, "now you wanted to meet with the Commander?"

"Yes I did," Shia'ra threw an amused glance over her shoulder before continuing, "I have a certain problem that could use your expertise." At this she turned her body completely around so as to now face the small group entirely.

It really was no wonder that so many seemed to desire this woman's presence now that they were able to examine her features more closely. The woman practically oozed sensuality from every pore of her elegantly clad body, every movement carefully choreographed to maximize their effectiveness. It was almost as if she was a work of art that had someone sprung to life from the various paintings that decorated the very room.

Despondently, Liara couldn't help but feel like some under privileged country bumpkin, at least she thought that was the phrase Ashley had once used, next to the beautiful Matron.

"Tell me about this problem you're having…", Shepard's unimpressed voice cut through the air as she gazed upon the Consort, apparently unaffected by the sight of such a 'beautiful' being standing only feet in front of her.

The sooner this was over, the sooner they could go to the nearest pub and unwind.

"I have a friend, Septimus, a retired Turian general. I won't discuss the details but he wanted me to be more than I could be." Shia'ra looked down in an apparent sense of sadness, though whether or not this was an act being put upon by the doll like woman was hard for any of them to know truthfully. The Consort was just so hard to read it would seem.

"We had a falling out, now he spends his days in Chora's Den. Drinking and spreading lies about me," at this the Consort lifted her hand up to gently graze Shepard's cheek, a rather manipulative action if ever they saw one, "if you would speak to him as a fellow soldier I believe he will listen to you and let the matter be."

Faith couldn't help but flinch as the other woman's hand came up to caress her cheek, every pore in her skin now crawling as several pale blue digits slowly slid down the sharp angle of her cheek bones. Didn't this woman ever learn that it was impolite to invade other people's personal space?

To her left, Liara was having a similar reaction to the stunt that the older Asari had just pulled - wanting nothing more than to forcefully march up to the other woman and demand she remove her grimy manicured paws from the Commander. This urge was only made worse when she noticed the quirked smile the Consort was sending her way, as if to imply that Liara's current thoughts were exactly the reaction she had been hoping to invoke from the slight touch.

_'-Somebody's jealous.-'_

_'Oh, do shut up…'_

"What exactly do you want me to tell him?" Faith muttered as she pried the pale hand from it's position on her face. Icy blue eyes now boring into the Consort's own in warning as she attempted to regroup what little was left of her professionalism before she did something she might regret. Outright yelling at eccentric nobles, particularly one as powerful as this Consort, was not the best career move one could make. No matter how tempting it was to shove the woman out of her personal space and demand she bring an end to the games she was trying to play.

"Appeal to his sense of honor, remind him of his position as a general," at this Shia'ra slid up to Faith and nuzzled against her, apparently unaffected by the glares she was receiving from both the woman in question and her not-quite paramour, "if you could convince him to stop spreading lies about me I would be very grateful."

With her request now given, the wily Consort stepped away from the now irate Spectre and headed back towards the other end of the room, "now I must ask you to take your leave. I have many clients waiting to see me."

"Come on," Faith muttered tiredly to her companions as she motioned for them to follow her out of the confinements of the room, at once immensely grateful that her personal space was no longer being invaded.

Turning to follow the object of her affections out the door Liara suddenly felt a petite hand clasp itself upon her shoulder, preventing her from moving any farther. A confused look crossed her face as she turned to regard the offending appendage and it's mischievous owner, her eyes then locking with the Consort's.

"Calm yourself, young one," the older woman chuckled softly as she looked down at the younger Asari with a look of thinly veiled amusement. Young maiden's were always so much fun to tease.

"Is there something you require…?" Liara managed to keep her tone civil in spite of her earlier ire towards the Consort. Surely there had to be a reason why the woman had stopped her from following her companions out of the room?

A conspiratorial grin was now beginning to firmly take root upon the soft features of the Matron's face, as she glanced away from Liara to her companions. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she waited for both the Commander and Tali to cross the threshold of the room into the adjoining hallway, the pair apparently absorbed in some kind of conversation, before she turned back to speak with Liara once more, "I was wondering, are you and the Commander together?"

"W-what?! No! W-w-why would you ask such a thing? Commander Shepard is merely my superior officer at the moment, nothing more," Liara felt her face flush a deep maroon color as she looked at the other with startled eyes. Of all the things to ask!

"Truthfully?", a disbelieving grin spread across the Consort's lips, "that's too bad. I was just thinking to myself that you both made a rather cute couple is all." There was a look of understanding painted across her features that served to further unsettle Liara's already frayed nerves.

'Oh Goddess, she knows, doesn't she….?'

"Liara! Hurry up!" Tali's synthesized voice called out from out in the hallway where she and the Commander were waiting.

"C-coming!", at this Liara dipped her head politely towards the Consort and turned to depart. As she then proceeded to jog towards her friends. As she began to call out to them apologetically she couldn't help but notice that the expression on Shepard's face seemed rather out of place as she neared. Her eyes burned towards the two Asari in a mixture of patience, concern, and something decidedly much darker…

Was that jealousy…?

_'-What do you think?-'_ the other voice nudged at her, apparently elated that it's host was finally realizing the fact that the Commander might have been telling the truth when she had expressed her own interest in the Prothean expert.

A warm shudder spread through her body as she considered the implications behind that darker emotion in the Spectre's gaze that was laid bare for all to see.

"Good things do not always come to those who wait, child," The melodic voice of the Consort slithered into her ears, just barely loud enough for the young Asari to hear, "see to it that you do not let this chance slip you by, lest you be doomed to an eternity of regret." And with that, the doors shut behind Liara with a decisive snap, as if to add poignancy to the wisdom that she had attempted to impart.

Feeling emotionally drained for the moment, Liara all but stumbled towards her companions, her mind a buzz with the implications behind the Commander's look and the Consort's parting words. It was in this state that she barely even registered the feeling of a pair of warm, gloved hands caressing her upper arms, their grip helping to hold her steady.

Blearily the young maiden tilted her gaze upward and was met with a concerned pair of blue eyes. Such pretty eyes…

"Liara, are you alright..?" Faith whispered in concern as she held her aloft, worry gnawing at her gut. Did that Consort do something to Liara during the few moments that they had been alone together?

"Maybe we should take you down to the lounge so you can sit down?" Tali added, her body posture and tone indicating that she too was rather concerned for the wellbeing of her blue friend.

"N-no need…," she managed to put on her most convincing smile, "I'm just a little dizzy is all. It should pass in a few moments…"

"Here, wait here. I'll go ask the receptionist if she has anything that might help. With how dazed some of the clients were acting on our way here I wouldn't be surprised if they had something in stock for just these kinds of situations," the young Quarian shouted before swiftly turning to jog down the stairwell on the other end of the hallway. All but deaf to Liara's weak reassurances that nothing was wrong.

"Wait! That really isn't necessary…!", she reached out futilely towards the retreating form of her Quarian friend, stopping short when the fact that she would not be able to convince Tali otherwise became apparent.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as Liara attempted to look anywhere other than at the person who was currently holding her steady.

"Liara…"

"I'm fine, Commander, really…"

"Look, Liara," Faith sighed with obvious fatigue, concern coloring her voice as she spoke, "if you don't want to tell me what's going on, that's your prerogative. I'm just worried about you, what with your spacing out and this latest mishap…"

Guiltily Liara slid her eyes over to Shepard's face, her heart clenching, "it's not… That I don't want to talk with you about it.. It's just…" Goddess, this was not exactly the conversation she wished to be having with the other woman right now…

"Just what Liara…?" Those blue eyes were gently boring into her own, wordlessly urging her to continue.

It looks like there was no way around it… Might as well bite the bullet, so to speak and apply that wily Consort's advice… "Are you… Really serious about this…? About, us…?"

A moment of silence passed as Faith attempted to digest what it was that Liara was trying to ask. Surely she couldn't be doubting the validity of what she had said back in the medical bay storage room? She thought she had been perfectly clear the first time around.

"Was that what this was all about…? I meant what I said when I told you that I too felt that there was something between us, and that I would be interested in pursuing a relationship with you.", Faith pulled her companion closer as if to help articulate and reinforce the words that spilled from her mouth, "I would never toy with your heart Liara…"

"… I know, it's just…" Liara flushed at their close proximity and broke her gaze away quickly. What was Shepard doing to her..?

"You don't want to get hurt do you?" The Spectre finished for her, a small smile gracing her lips as she caught sight of the blush dusting across the other's cheeks. How cute.

A solemn shake of the head was the only answer she received as Liara attempted to look at anything, anywhere, other than at the person who currently held her tightly against them.

Gently Faith slid one of her hands up to caress Liara's jaw line and turn her head back so that they were once again face to face. "Then allow me to put your mind at ease.." With that final statement, Faith willed her lips to descend upon the stunned Asari's.

For several moments Liara simply stood rigidly in place, not knowing quite what to make of this new turn of events. However it wasn't long before she found herself leaning into the pair of lips that were locked with her own, in turn deepening the kiss further.

_'-Finally!-'_ the small voice in the back of her head cried out joyously.

For once, Liara found that she didn't have the heart to disagree with it's sentiments.

They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, both lost in the moment. However the pressing need for air soon brought them crashing back to reality as they separated, both flushed and breathless. "Have I made my intentions clear enough for you now..?" Faith grinned down at the woman in her arms as she leaned forward to press their foreheads together. Her blonde hair draping around their immediate vision, blocking out all other visual stimuli.

"Yes…" Liara gasped breathlessly as she quirked a small smile up towards the other. Her doubts now long forgotten.

"Good," at this Faith moved forward once more to continue where they left off before being stopped by the sound of a rather amused synthesized voice off to her left flank.

"Gee, Commander. You could have at least warned me that you two wanted some quality time before I left." Tali smirked at the pair from behind the plate glass of her red visor, amused by the spectacle the two were making.

"Sorry about that," Faith turned to regard the Quarian before sticking her tongue out playfully, obviously not in the least repentant about what the other had just witnessed.

"Yeah, well. They apparently ran out of all their medi-capsules for faintness not long before we arrived. It would seem that the volus diplomat we passed on the way in was rather nervous indeed about his first time coming to see the Consort. Passed out as soon as he walked into the reception area, apparently." At this Tali couldn't help but roll her eyes at the thought, not quite understanding why all these people were getting so worked up over some blue skinned woman with a nice voice. Men. "Are you going to be alright without them Doctor?"

"Yes, thank you Tali. I feel much better now." Liara managed to send her friend a grateful smile to show that she appreciated the effort on the Quarian's part to help her out, no matter how unnecessary it had been in the long run. A gesture that was soon returned, or at least she thought it was, by the younger girl.

"What do you say we hit that pub we were talking about earlier then? I'm starving." Faith quipped at her companions good-naturedly.

"What about the Consort's request?" Tali inquired curiously. It wasn't like the Commander to put off someone else's dirty work. Not that she was complaining mind you, as the excited bouncing should clearly show. She'd much rather go and have fun at one of the many pubs in the Wards instead of playing courier for some spoiled aristocrat.

"She can wait. Besides all the best pubs are down in the Lower Wards regardless. We'll swing by and talk to this Septimus person on our way back." At this Faith took a step back from Liara, who frowned at the loss of contact. Though this was soon remedied when she replaced one of her arms so that it was wrapped supportively around Liara's form.

"I can walk to the pub myself Commander…" Liara sighed in mild aggravation as she looked at Faith from the corner of her eye. She still felt rather faint inspite of what she had told Tali, but she'd be damned if she would allow herself to appear so weak in front of the Commander for another moment longer.

"Aw, come on, just indulge me for once."

That earned her a smile. "You're impossible."

"You're just figuring that out?" At this Faith laughed happily as she maneuvered the lithe body in her grasp towards their other companion, all of them then making a beeline for the exit.

On the other side of the hydraulic door a lone figure smiled cryptically to itself as it listened to the fading sounds of footsteps that heralded their departure. It having apparently heard the entire exchange from behind the safety of the metal screens.

"I wish you both eternal happiness."

* * *

**A/N:** Ugh, I really wish I had a beta reader for this… *pokes all the errors*

Anyways this turned out longer than I expected, even though I cut out a good portion of what I wanted to do with it due to time constraints. I was going to extend the entire scenario so that it would also encompass the encounter with Septimus, but it felt unneeded in all honesty. All that it would have added would have been my letting Tali have a little more screen time and some rehashing of yet another event you all surely remember from the game. All in all, it would have been little more than filler. Besides, I like how this one turned out for once. :D

Mind giving me your opinion of this story?


End file.
